E-tolls litigation costs soar

United in their opposition to the contentious e-tolling scheme, Gauteng motorists and businesses are digging deep into their pockets to bankroll the cost of legally challenging the funding model for the province's highway improvement project.

In May, the coalition at the forefront of the anti-tolling fight, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa), launched a fund-raising campaign to cover the costs of the litigation.

To date the campaign has raised R7.5-million - but it says it needs R11-million.

The legal team that convinced Pretoria High Court judge Bill Prinsloo to grant an interim order stopping the implementation of e-tolling in April cost the alliance over R3.8-million.

The government's subsequent Constitutional Court appeal led to the setting aside of the interim order in September. The appeal cost the coalition a further R3.2-million.

Judge Louis Vorster reserved judgement on Wednesday, and labour federation Cosatu took the fight to the streets.

The alliance has received more than 2300 financial contributions, 200 of them from businesses, which have contributed on average R33000 each.

The bulk of the balance is from individual motorists, who on average are donating R350 each.

Outa chairman Wayne Duvenage lamented the fact that, though 2100 individuals had made a contribution to the fight against e-tolling, there were over a million regular users of the freeways.

He said this was an indication that there tended to be general apathy in civil society.

He said "... not only do they agree with stopping e-tolling, they are actually saving money as a result of Outa's work.

"If Outa had not interdicted the e-tolling in May, we could have had tolling by now. This means we have saved individuals and companies six months' worth of tolling.

"When they save the money, you would think that they would give one month's saving to the cause, but they do not."

Duvenage would not reveal the names of contributing businesses.

He said he was confident of reaching the alliance's target figure.

"We are going to put together some events to raise funds. We are continuously calling on businesses and individuals to participate," he said.

Duvenage said that the government's legal costs in defending its e-tolling plans had already cost the taxpayer about R30-million.